ROTW: Tin Star
Hello all, I'm a little leery of this ROTW stuff.
#1 There have been so many nice looking rigs that no matter what I do to mine, it feels kinda inadequate.
#2 I'm wondering if there is a "Madden Curse" on this ROTW thread cause the Cruiser was running fine until last Wednesday....then the front right Birfield went out.
Here she sits right now.....
I would like to say that I have been into cruisers all my life and that this is my 5th or 6th, etc. cruiser, but I would be lying if I did. I knew absolutely nothing about them until about a 14 months ago. (Many will say that I still don't.)
My family has property in the Big Bend area of West Texas and we had always kept an old 74 jeep out there to drive around in. I was driving that jeep at 12 years old around the Terlingua Ranch. It was all I knew. Then last March I took a group of guys that I work with out on a trip there. Texaslawman (Todd Huey) brought his 95 80 series out and we went all over the place in a jeep/land cruiser convoy. I finally got a chance to ride in the 80 one day after we had been out Coyote hunting. The road up to the house will jar your teeth out in that old jeep, and when we drove up it in luxury in the 80......"I gotta get me one of these" came out of my mouth. I had nooooo idea. It was like driving a Cadillac off-road. I must say it was sweeeeeet.
Upon our return to civilization, I began hitting Trader-online and really got in to the 80s forum here on Mud. I read forums and looked through sale adds for months until I found a relatively cheap 1995 Blue FZJ80 with factory lockers in Ft. Worth. The price had been dropping, so I kept an eye on it. Eventually I went and looked at it. The interior was in great condition and the exterior was nice too. (no dents or dings, no exterior rust, just a broken taillight) I thought about it a lot, asked some fellow Lone Star Land Cruiser members.... and bought it. It was high mileage at 179K and had no pm records, but I took a chance. The price was right.
I took it home and started the maintenance. I changed the oil, belts, hoses, and other fluids. After a couple of weeks, I started on the mods and have not stopped since. That was about a year ago.....
Before picture.....
First was the lift and tires. I put the OME J springs and L shocks, and put on some 315 Yokohama Geolander MT's that I bought used from an LSLC member that had them lying around. WOW what a difference just a lift and tires make.....
Next was the ARB front winch bumper with the Mile Marker 12k winch. I wanted a Warn, but I needed a winch and it was cheaper. I may go to a Warn latter, but so far the Mile Marker has never let me down when I have needed it. I have since added a set of PIAA 520s and Hella 4000s to the ARB.
I then added a homemade roof rack that I had made from a guy in Abilene, TX attached with quik n easy clamps, metal tech sliders (LOVE EM and they paid for themselves the first time out with them on. I was driving an old trail in West Texas and came down HARD on a rock. It dented the slider, but the body was untouched), a 4x4labs rear bumper with tire carrier and 3 can gas can holder (LOVE IT!!!) and lots of stickers. I have also gone to Toyo Open Country MT's (315's).
The interior is pretty much stock. It did not come with wood grain trim, so I did not have to remove it. The only thing I have really done to the interior is that I added a Uniden CB into the ashtray slot, Dukback seat covers, a 20lb. CO2 tank for air tools and mounted a jotto desk and inverter for my old laptop in which I run the Delorme Streets USA with GPS. It really comes in handy out in the deserts of west Texas and I like having the larger screen of the laptop.
How she looks now.... she is not a daily driver (although I drive her often cause it's just cool), she is pure trail truck.
I have also built a rear drawer system out of 1/2 plywood that I will probably give away. I want to build a better one out of 3/4 plywood.
The truck is used mainly for exploration type wheeling, I travel to the Big Bend several times a year. I have also started some rock climbing and trail riding as well. I am trying to build a solid all around truck.
Future mods (in no particular order):
Installing the Safari Snorkel sitting in my garage
4.88s
dual battery set up
better rear drawer system
upgraded stereo
roof top tent
on board air system
CDL
I'm sure I'll think of others later.....I can't seem to find my list.
Hello all, I'm a little leery of this ROTW stuff.
#1 There have been so many nice looking rigs that no matter what I do to mine, it feels kinda inadequate.
#2 I'm wondering if there is a "Madden Curse" on this ROTW thread cause the Cruiser was running fine until last Wednesday....then the front right Birfield went out.
Here she sits right now.....
I would like to say that I have been into cruisers all my life and that this is my 5th or 6th, etc. cruiser, but I would be lying if I did. I knew absolutely nothing about them until about a 14 months ago. (Many will say that I still don't.)
My family has property in the Big Bend area of West Texas and we had always kept an old 74 jeep out there to drive around in. I was driving that jeep at 12 years old around the Terlingua Ranch. It was all I knew. Then last March I took a group of guys that I work with out on a trip there. Texaslawman (Todd Huey) brought his 95 80 series out and we went all over the place in a jeep/land cruiser convoy. I finally got a chance to ride in the 80 one day after we had been out Coyote hunting. The road up to the house will jar your teeth out in that old jeep, and when we drove up it in luxury in the 80......"I gotta get me one of these" came out of my mouth. I had nooooo idea. It was like driving a Cadillac off-road. I must say it was sweeeeeet.
Upon our return to civilization, I began hitting Trader-online and really got in to the 80s forum here on Mud. I read forums and looked through sale adds for months until I found a relatively cheap 1995 Blue FZJ80 with factory lockers in Ft. Worth. The price had been dropping, so I kept an eye on it. Eventually I went and looked at it. The interior was in great condition and the exterior was nice too. (no dents or dings, no exterior rust, just a broken taillight) I thought about it a lot, asked some fellow Lone Star Land Cruiser members.... and bought it. It was high mileage at 179K and had no pm records, but I took a chance. The price was right.
I took it home and started the maintenance. I changed the oil, belts, hoses, and other fluids. After a couple of weeks, I started on the mods and have not stopped since. That was about a year ago.....
Before picture.....
First was the lift and tires. I put the OME J springs and L shocks, and put on some 315 Yokohama Geolander MT's that I bought used from an LSLC member that had them lying around. WOW what a difference just a lift and tires make.....
Next was the ARB front winch bumper with the Mile Marker 12k winch. I wanted a Warn, but I needed a winch and it was cheaper. I may go to a Warn latter, but so far the Mile Marker has never let me down when I have needed it. I have since added a set of PIAA 520s and Hella 4000s to the ARB.
I then added a homemade roof rack that I had made from a guy in Abilene, TX attached with quik n easy clamps, metal tech sliders (LOVE EM and they paid for themselves the first time out with them on. I was driving an old trail in West Texas and came down HARD on a rock. It dented the slider, but the body was untouched), a 4x4labs rear bumper with tire carrier and 3 can gas can holder (LOVE IT!!!) and lots of stickers. I have also gone to Toyo Open Country MT's (315's).
The interior is pretty much stock. It did not come with wood grain trim, so I did not have to remove it. The only thing I have really done to the interior is that I added a Uniden CB into the ashtray slot, Dukback seat covers, a 20lb. CO2 tank for air tools and mounted a jotto desk and inverter for my old laptop in which I run the Delorme Streets USA with GPS. It really comes in handy out in the deserts of west Texas and I like having the larger screen of the laptop.
How she looks now.... she is not a daily driver (although I drive her often cause it's just cool), she is pure trail truck.
I have also built a rear drawer system out of 1/2 plywood that I will probably give away. I want to build a better one out of 3/4 plywood.
The truck is used mainly for exploration type wheeling, I travel to the Big Bend several times a year. I have also started some rock climbing and trail riding as well. I am trying to build a solid all around truck.
Future mods (in no particular order):
Installing the Safari Snorkel sitting in my garage
4.88s
dual battery set up
better rear drawer system
upgraded stereo
roof top tent
on board air system
CDL
I'm sure I'll think of others later.....I can't seem to find my list.
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